wcrpgfandomcom-20200215-history
Elegy Chapter Two: Nistalan
*B: "My heart warms at your sight." *R: "Hello, old teacher. It has been a number of years. You look like shit." *B: "Most days I feel like shit." *R: "Hmm. I would say you smell like shit and therefore be forced to draw a conclusion, but I cannot tell if the offensive odor I'm sensing is you or my surroundings." *B: "Please sit. Would you care for a drink? The Terrans have sold me a watered down bottle of kika'li, but it will still put a fire in your belly." *R: "I would rather not pollute my body with that Firekkan filth." *B: "Is that so? Or would you rather not be seen drinking with a sa'guk?" *R: "I doubt very much whether anyone here cares who or what I drink with. No, I imagine you are well aware of my views on the pollution of the remains of our culture." *B: "I and everyone else. Tell me again, Ra'khaj, how many of our people were killed in that brawl your inflammatory rhetoric started? Two-eights, was it? I thought I had taught you discretion better than that." *R: "For someone who contacted me wanting my help, you sure are making a strong case for me walking out the door of this questionable establishment. Interesting choice for a discreet meeting, I must say..." *B: "I thought it best that we meet in surroundings where the locals wouldn't speak the language. Do not worry, I've already checked - we may discuss business freely." *R: "And what business is that, Kayi?" *B: "I need a ship. Preferably a warship." *R: "Age has apparently dulled your senses, old teacher. Why would you think I am inclined to give you a ship of any kind?" *B: "Ra'khaj, you were my student for many years. You know me; I am a kil of honor. I know you as well - and I remember your curiosity, and how it got you into trouble on more than one occasion. I counted on that curiosity when I contacted you. You are curious why I, a retainer of Lord Talmak, am still alive when it is well known he is dead - why I choose to live as sa'guk when it is my duty to commit zu'kara and join my master in the great beyond. You only agreed to this meeting because you hoped to have your curiosity about me filled, and I know that when I have finished satisfying your curiosity - when you know the truth of the matter - you will grant me my request." *R: "I doubt that, old teacher. But you are welcome to try." EXPOSITION Krahtagh hrai Talmak nar Sutaghi is a vassal to Lord Talmak Jirha laq Qith'rak nar Sutaghi, who is himself a noted weapons master. Krahtagh is a weapons instructor to Ra'Khaj nar Ghoran, a child with an enigmatic past; the two share a strong mentor/protege relationship, much like Lord Talmak and Bloodeye themselves. During a sparring exercise, Krahtagh chastises Ra'Khaj for his views on (honor vs survival; I'm developing this initial bit of the story still). With no heirs of his own, Lord Talmak considers Krahtagh - or Kayi (Bloodeye), as he's known - his proper successor and goes to petition Emperor Joor'rad personally for special dispensation to grant Bloodeye the status of master, an honor never before bestowed upon a commoner, and to have him recognized as Talmak's rightful heir. Bloodeye is left behind on N'Ryllis when Talmak is granted an initial audience with the Emperor. Bloodeye receives a communique from a visibly shaken Talmak while the latter is still on Kilrah, who says he has a hard task to ask of Bloodeye and makes him swear on his honor that he will see it carried out "at all costs". Bloodeye unflinchingly swears to do his master's bidding. Talmak is able to tell Bloodeye that "It's about Ra'Khaj", before the line goes dead - the Temblor Raid has occurred. Upon learning of his master's death, Bloodeye prepares for zu'kara - when he suddenly remembers his vow. The implications of the vow slowly descend upon him... Bloodeye has no hrai of his own; he becomes sa'guk in the eyes of his community for his failure to perform zu'kara like a proper Kilrathi should, no one else having heard the vow he swore to his master and his loyalty to his former master not given any consideration by the newly selected Kal Thrak'hra of clan Sutaghi (who holds a grudge against Bloodeye for some past transgression in which Bloodeye's testimony caused him to lose face). Bloodeye is relocated along with much of the population of N'Ryllis to the established reservation world of B'Shriss in the Antares Quadrant of Epsilon Sector. His registration papers with the Broken Claw Agency identify him as Krahtagh N'Ryllis, though in the eyes of the community he is Krahtagh Sa'guk. Krahtagh is appalled by conditions on the reservation - his fellow Kilrathi (not his fellows; even in exile he is still sa'guk and a social pariah) are left in squalor, many in a state of starvation and abject poverty. It is this state of affairs that Krahtagh is experiencing when he inadvertently murders an agent of the Broken Claw; Krahtagh witnessed the agent mistreating a Kilrathi youth. Fearing retaliation by their Terran oppressors, the citizens of the community cast out Krahtagh. With nothing left, other than a few credits, the clothes on his back and a masterwork koractu, he makes his way to the planetary capital of Ja'lra Ek'hra Rakhav and arranges a covert meeting in a Terran bar on Antares with his former pupil Ra'Khaj, who has become a controversial leader in the nar Kiranka clan. Krahtagh informs his ex-student of the conditions of his vow - including the bit he knows of it involving Ra'Khaj - and what his intentions are - he cannot allow the Kilrathi people to be treated this way any further, and intends to go to war for the sake of the species. Ra'Khaj tells him that there is little he can do officially, but does arrange for Krahtagh to gain access to a shuttle, subtly suggests he look for something with a little more punch in T'kon H'hra, and giving him the name of "Ar'rah Sutaghi" as a point of contact there. ACT I Bloodeye arrives at T'Kon H'hra, finding the conditions there even worse than they were on B'Shriss - thousands of Kilrathi are packed into the Star Post's main cargo bay like sardines, with barely enough room to move around. Most are obviously emaciated and in generally poor health. Bloodeye is taken to register as a visitor to the base but is recognized as a fugitive and must disappear into the crowd, setting up a meeting Ar'rah discretely...who turns out to be the custom official. At first Bloodeye is willing to kill Ar'rah - or Gux'a P'nt, as he's also (unjustly, in his mind) known - until the latter reveals that he too would like to see someone take up the fight for the Kilrathi people, and believes that Bloodeye might just have the clout to do it. The characters come in at this point - they are answering an advert Krahtagh placed within the T'kon H'hra base's refugee populace to meet at the local Temple of Sivar. He informs those who have gathered that he is looking for volunteers to help commandeer and crew KIS Shal'Kuz Mang, a Fralthi-II-class cruiser laying derelict in space near the station. Many present decide not to join up with yet another wannabe warlord, but he does attract a few followers; the characters are among them. Krahtagh lays out his plan for seizing the ship - one group will board using the shuttle Ra'Khaj gave to Krahtagh, power it up and kill any Terrans aboard. Once the ship is under their control, they will make their way at best speed towards the jump to T'Kon. The other group will fly fighter escort for the shuttle and the ship; Krahtagh has learned where a number of surplus fighters are stored above the depot. The second group will need to break into the hangar, fuel up the fighters and (boy, this sounds like a dumb plan...). All of this will be here eventually... ---- [[Elegy_2.1:_Tarakh%27ga|NEXT: 2.1 Part One - Tarakh'ga]] PREVIOUS: 1.0 Introduction TOP ----